RBVI Dome Demonstration

	Dengue Virus Dengue virus animation showing where proteins in capsid move to during reversible conformational change at low pH (PDB 3c6d, 3c6r).
	Bacteriophage phi6 Simple movie spinning and slicing a virus density map (EMDB 1500) for bacteriophage phi6 procapsid. Radial coloring for outer view, volume coloring for slicing view.
	Rotavirus polymerase Fly along the RNA being copied by rotavirus RNA polymerase (PDB 2r7r), an enzyme that replicates the 11 segments of viral RNA. The blue and red polymerase coloring is Coulomb electrostatic potential.

Dome Project Background

At the request of our collaborators at National Center for Macromolecular Imaging (NCMI), we have added preliminary support for generating images that are suitable for projecting with a fisheye lens on the inside of a dome. The advantage of projecting on a dome is that the image fills the periphery of the field of view and thus provides context to what is being visualized. And in the case of macromolecular assemblies, context helps the viewer understand the relationships between the various parts of the assembly. The ultimate goal is to produce an animation suitable for projecting in a planetarium, but this may also be useful for interactive use by a single researcher in a minidome.

The NMCI and the RBVI will be demonstrating a dome at the February 2012 Biophysical Society meeting.

Molecule from Crystal Explorer, courtesy of Joshua McKinnon	4 Ring inflatable from Go-Dome
Dome pictures from Paul Bourke, paulbourke.net.